Integrity

mighty-jackieMajor League Baseball scheduled its 2014 Opening Day games for the Diamond Backs and the Dodgers on March 22nd in Australia.  This is another sign of spring season right around the corner!  You can't talk about baseball and the word of the month, integrity, without knowing about Jackie Mitchell.  Marissa Moss, the author of Might Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen, reminds us that with courage you can take risks. By having strength to be compassionate, wise, humble, truthful, you have the foundation of integrity!  Listen to the story of Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen. Identify text from the story that supports these characteristics.

 Watch this documentary:

Find out more about Jackie Mitchell:

Her father's encouragement and hard work helped Jackie succeed. Post a comment about a person in your life who had encouraged you and helped you to succeed.

Extension: Create a Baseball Trading Card on the website Read, Write, Think's Trading Card Creator. Make a baseball card about a person you know who displays the characteristics of our word of the month, Integrity. 

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss is one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time.  Dr. Seuss believed that books and learning to read should be fun and exciting for children. What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

 

To celebrate Dr. Seuss, try Seussville!  Enjoy all the games and activities that help make reading fun!

Sojourner Truth

Born in New York circa 1797, Sojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. Read more…

Please share new knowledge that you gained from today's assembly or from reading this post. Make sure you contribute something different than your classmate.

Each Kindness

RAKaesop"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." ~Mother Theresa

Cottage Lane's word of the month is tolerance. Jacqueline Woodson's book, The Other Side, is the book of the month. Clover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups' rules by sitting on top of the fence together.  There are many ways we can show tolerance toward others who have different opinions, beliefs, or race.  February 10th through February 16th is designated as Kindness Week. Use this time to show tolerance through random acts of kindness. Jacqueline Woodson's other book, Each Kindness, shows how the act of kindness benefits the giver as much as the receiver.  Here is a trailer to her book.

Students an inspirational kindness quote from RandomActsofKindness.org. Write this quote inside a Valentine Puzzle Purse or inside an origami heart. Leave anonymous Valentine's message for others in the school or in the community to find.

OceansWide Assembly

Buzz Scott, founder and adventurer of OceansWide, visited our school to share stories about his expedition’s travels in the Gulf of Maine. His team believes it is important to educate students about the amazing and mysterious world that exists offshore. Their ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) gave us a firsthand look into the wonders of the largest habitat on Earth. 

What are some ways you can become more aware of the treasures deep beneath the waters and the ways you can become more involved in the importance of protecting them?

After you post your comment you might want to play one of the twenty-five educational games provided by NOAA's Games Planet Arcade to learn more about oceans, wildlife, and weather.

Super Bowl Fun!

Super Bowl Challenges:

Groundhog Day!

groundhogdayThere is a legend that says a few hundred years ago Europeans brought Ground Hog Day to America. They said that the ground hog wakes up from his hibernation on February 2. (February 2 is half way between winter and spring.) If he comes up from his hole and it is sunny, he will see his shadow and be frightened. If he sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter weather. But if he comes up and the sky is cloudy, he will not see his shadow and will not be frightened. Then spring weather will come very soon.

  • Try this Groundhog Day Quiz.
  • Make your prediction to this post.  Will the groundhog see his shadow?

Ralph Fletcher

On January 28th, Ralph Fletcher shares his writing experiences with our students.  Listen to his picture book, Twilight Comes Twice.  He uses amazing, vivid, free-verse text to describe the transition from day to night and from night to day.  He makes these every day moments magical.

Select your favorite part of the day or year and make it magical.  Write one or two sentences on this post to create a vivid image for others.  Have your classmates try to name the moment you are describing.